Overview

Epstein provided DesignBuild services for VWR International's LEED-NC Silver 500,499-square-foot laboratory equipment distribution facility.

This facility features approximately 10,000 square feet of office space, including a 4,200-square-foot mezzanine, and two separate 10,000 square foot temperature and humidity controlled areas.

Approximately 42,000 square feet of storage is also temperature and humidity controlled and is enclosed by fire-rated enclosures for hazardous material storage.

The VWR distribution center has a total of 30 dock door positions, 15 dedicated to shipping operations and 15 dedicated to receiving operations. Within the open warehouse area there is a two-level rack supported pick-module, deck-racked high-bay storage and pallet rack high bay storage. The distribution center is fully sprinkled with a top-of-product storage height of 32'-0" clear within the main warehouse area.

The VWR DC featured numerous sustainable design features, including:

• Heat Island Effect Reduction via a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) Roof

• 21.31% of the site is open vegetated space (5.66 acres of the 26.55 acre site)

• 74% water use reduction for landscape irrigation saving 1,061,986 gallons annually

• 40% water use reduction through high efficiency flush/flow fixtures saving 85,830 gallons annually

• 52% of all new wood products (by cost) were Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified

• Only Low-emitting paints, adhesives, flooring systems and composite wood products were used

• New Light fixtures were lamped with low-mercury fluorescent lamps and implementation of a toxic material source reduction operations plan

This new facility helps to enhance VWR's distribution network and continues to provide a productive supply chain solution for the Western United States.